There are so many different brand of cloth diapers out there now, it is hard to keep up. It seems I hear of a new brand of diapers every other week lately. A couple months ago I came across Snaps and Snails YoYoo bamboo pocket diapers. YoYoo pocket diapers are mom-invented, which I love!

I purchased 2 of these diapers and they arrived promptly. The colors are very bright and vivid, the bamboo was very soft. They were easy enough to prep – wash and then rinse several times.

I had never used bamboo diapers and I am happy to report they performed as well as my BumGenius and FuzziBunz diapers.

About YoYoo pocket diapers (from Snaps & Snails website)Yo-Yoo one size pocket diapers are a beautiful product. Each diaper is made up of certified organic bamboo. The bamboo micro-fiber is soft and luxurious, as well as hypoallergenic, keeping your baby comfy and happy. The outer layer of the diaper is made of polyurethane laminate, which is waterproof and durable, extending the life of the diaper while keeping your babies clothes dry. Each diaper comes with a 4-layer, plush and absorbent bamboo fleece insert which snaps into the diaper, holding it in place. They are made with snap closures to allow for easy adjustment and a snug fit as your baby grows and develops. These one size diapers are easily adjusted to fit any baby from 5lbs – 35lbs and are available in 5 bright and playful colors.

Closure
My son is 22 months, so snaps are a must. The Velcro on my BumGenius (BG) diapers leaves too much freedom for a little boy to riiipppp off the diaper and hose down my house – so no Velcro unless he’s also wearing pants (two can play at this game). The Velcro also tends to come loose in the wash and create a long line of BG diapers – frustrating. The YoYoo diaper has snaps and is one size – perfect combo for our house. We are on the largest setting for the stride, but not the side snaps that actually secure the diaper. The waist is very roomy, in fact, so roomy, that I am not sure if a thin newborn would fit in this diaper, but I can’t say for sure, since my son is 22 months and 25 pounds.

Fit
The fit was great! The elastic does not seem to give as much as my BGs or FuzziBunz (FB), however, I did not notice any difference in performance. Here are some comparison pictures of the BG one size, the FB medium perfect fit and the YoYoo one size diapers.

Front view: medium FuzziBunz, small setting on BumGenius and small setting on YoYoo

Top view: Medium FuzziBunz, small setting on BumGenius and small setting on YoYoo

Top view: Medium FuzziBunz, medium setting on BumGenius and medium setting on YoYoo

Front view: Medium FuzziBunz, large setting on BumGenius and large setting on YoYoo

Top view: Medium FuzziBunz, large setting on BumGenius and large setting on YoYoo

Absorbency
Bamboo is supposed to be really absorbent, and I will have to say from experience, that I find this to be accurate. We only had one leak and really that was my fault because he needed changing and I was trying to beat the system thinking “Surely we can make it home – it’s only 10 minutes!” Of course, he went and we had a leak, but he was so wet, I’m certain the FB and BGs would have also sprung a leak. It also contained the BMs very well.

Pocket/InsertThis is my favorite part of the diaper. The pocket opening is in the front of the diaper, which is awesome because then poo does not get into the pocket and directly onto the insert (which is my biggest beef with my BGs, well, maybe 2nd after the Velcro). The opening is a little small, so it may be a little difficult for someone with large hands to stuff, but this is a feature I like because there is not a bunch of excess fabric that can stick out and cause a leak (which is my least favorite thing about the FB).

Another neat thing about the insert is that it snaps into the diaper minimizing any shifting of the insert. I am sure it works fine without snapping it in since unsnapping it could cause a little wetness to get on your hands, but I hold the back and front just so, so I can unsnap without touching the insert or inner lining. Yes, I am a little OCD and I am OK with that.

BulkinessI do not find this diaper bulky, at least not any more so than my BGs. Here are all 3 diapers lined up showing their “wingspan.”

Top to bottom: BumGenius, YoYoo, FuzziBunz

StainingSo far, I have not seen any staining on the cover or insert. Both clean very well, and so far no stink either! I rinse even the wet diapers and this has been my best offense against the horrid ammonia smell cloth diapers sometimes get.

CareI wash mine with Rockin Green Soap along with my other diapers. I occasionally use bleach (once a month or less). The YoYoo bamboo diapers are not to be bleached, so I am careful to ensure they skip the bleach load. My system is: cold rinse, long hot wash, 2 rinses. I hang the covers and dry the inserts in the dryer.

OverallOverall, I think this is a great diaper and because of the snaps and roomy fit, it’s a favorite even over my BGs (I think we’ve established the fact that I am not a Velcro fan) and FBs right now (medium perfect fits are getting to snug on baby’s chunky legs)! There are several great colors to choose from.

As stated, my only concern is not sure how this would fit on a petite baby, or tiny newborn, but since I did not try this on a newborn, I can’t say for sure, just would advise you to order 1-2 diapers to try before ordering a whole stash – something I recommend before ordering a stash of ANY diaper.

Coupon Code
Want to get 25% off the Snaps & Snails diapers? Go to the Snaps & Snails website, then email sales@snapsandsnails.org with your order – be sure to use amomsblog as the subject line – and receive 25% off your order! Like all good deals, it does end, so snag up this deal before it expires on October 23rd.

The fine print: I received these diapers at a discount price in exchange for an honest review. The opinions here are completely my own and was influenced by nothing other than my own experience.

My son had several bouts of cradle cap as an infant. I really didn’t want to have to buy a special shampoo, as the natural ones are very expensive. My cousin’s daughter also had a bad case and her pediatrician recommended Head and Shoulders (eek!) and no way was I using that on myself, let alone my child. So did a little research and discovered something I already had in my pantry would clear it up – extra virgin olive oil.

Directions:
1. Rub a small amount of EVOO on the affected area. Should saturate the area, but should not be dripping.
2. Let sit for about 30 minutes to let the EVOO soften the scales. If it is a severe case, you can even let on overnight.
3. Gently comb out the flakes with a fine tooth comb. Be very careful if you have a young infant since their skin is so tender. If you have a newborn, you can use the soft comb from the hospital to gently soften and brush away the flakes. You may want to have a washcloth handy to wipe the flakes off of the comb as you go.
4. Shampoo as normal.

I am surprised at how effective this is, and so inexpensive. Typically one application got it all. On some occasions where his cradle cap was bad and I didn’t let it sit long enough, I had to repeat the process the next night.

Alternative: try organic virgin coconut oil instead. Worked just as well and smelled great! The last time he had a patch I used coconut oil and it has not been back since. Not sure if it was related, but it was not as bad as it had previously been either.

The Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) recently tested a variety of kids’ juices and packages fruits. They found more than 85% exceeded California’s Proposition 65 right to know law for lead levels, meaning the lead levels in these products are high enough to warrant a warning label to consumers.

What’s disheartening is that lead was found in conventional and organic selections tested, and no one brand seemed to be safer across the board. For the products below the Prop 65 max level, it would be interesting to know where the manufacturers source their produce from for these products.

Lead is naturally occurring in soil and is possibly the reason why lead is being found in juice. However, more research is needed to determine if these are coming from isolated orchards or if this is some by product of the manufacturing process.

It’s important to note that there are NO SAFE amounts of lead. Lead is known to cause irreversible brain damage.

ELF has contacted the manufactures and they all have been warned to come into compliance within 60 days or a suit will be filed.

What can you do?
Juice is not needed in your child’s diet. It’s best if they get their nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables. Offer plenty of water. I totally understand that sometimes you just want a little flavor, so squeeze your own juice, or choose a product that did not exceed the exceed Prop 65’s levels and be sure to dilute it with water.

We only have juice in our house as a special treat, and then the kids get it watered down. Juice is very sugary, yes natural sugar in the 100% juices, but still very sugary. And sugar leads to cavities which is the main reason we avoid juice, not to mention it’s expensive and offers little nutritional value. Your kids will live without a daily jolt of juice. My kids typically prefer ice water over even sweet tea, they also get milk.

The first night I used this bowl, I was totally geeking out about it. I LOVED it. My determined-to-self-feed son spilled very little of his dinner on the table thus most of his dinner made it to his mouth – success! Just to be fair, I decided to use the bowl a few more times before writing the review just to be sure it continued to live up to its expectations, and it has!

The contoured shape is great. It helps guide food onto the spoon. I was a little worried that my son would get a heaping spoonful and still spill food all over the table, but I think because the bowl only holds 4 ounces, it helps him get the proper amount on the spoon, so spilling is very minimal. And he does not throw this bowl like he does his plates.

This bowl should be on every baby registry – a must-have for anyone with a baby or toddler in the house.

Pros:

Very good at helping babies learn to self feed with the innovative shape of the bowl and rubber base to keep bowl in place

Utensils are just the right size and shape for little hands to easily grasp

Most of the food stays in the bowl or on the spoon

If you are holding baby and feeding with 1 hand, the bowl stays put with the rubber base

Free of all the ickies – BPA, phthalate, lead and PVC

Can be washed in dishwasher (top-rack ONLY!)

Mom-invented and I love that!

Cons

I wish the bowl was available in a bigger size – it only holds 4 ounces, so I have to refill his bowl 3 times to fill his growing belly – but it is not a huge issue, as I mentioned above, I think the size helps him get a reasonable amount onto his spoon

It’s a little expensive at $12.95 per set (bowl, spoon, fork)

Other spoons/forks may not work as well with this bowl unless they are the same size and shape as the Baby Dipper set. Meaning you will want to use the set together every time to prevent having to use an alternate spoon. (hard for DH to grasp, though my almost-4-year-old seems to get it)

I love the bowl so much that I gave one to a friend for her baby shower. I think this will be my new baby gift staple.

Want one?? Enter to win!

There are multiple ways to enter. And enter as many ways as you wish, just follow the rules!

1. Leave a comment here and tell us your favorite thing about the bowl (1 entry)

You can also keep up with the latest news from the Baby Dipper on Facebook (though following does not count as an extra entry).

Contest ends at midnight CST, April 12, 2010. Winner will be notified via email and must respond within 2 days. If no response, a new winner will be chosen. Baby Dipper LLC will provide shipping to a winner in the US or Canada.

Disclaimers: Previous winners of the Baby Dipper bowl giveaways sponsored by Baby Dipper, LLC are not eligible. I received the bowl from the Baby Dipper LLC, though the views expressed in my review are those of my own experience with the bowl. No other compensation was or will be received.

I had been looking for an alcohol-free hand sanitizer for some time now that I could use on the go when I would not have access to soap and water, like at the playground, or after changing a diaper in the car (not while in motion) when we are out and about. I knew the alcohol-based ones were not safe for kids. If a child ingested it, they could get alcohol poisoning, so I didn’t even want alcohol-based sanitizers in the house knowing I can’t use it without my toddler begging for some as well. I prefer to avoid the ER.

Also, Triclosan is toxic, so that was out as well. As well as parabens, phthalates, PEG compounds, etc.

So a few weeks ago I stumbled upon CleanWell Hand Sanitizer. It claimed to be all natural, alcohol and triclosan free and kills 99.99% of germs, including MRSA, staph, E. coli, and Salmonella. It is botanically based, and no pesticides or chemicals are used. Plants are also a renewable resource. No petrochemicals or harmful byproducts are created during harvesting or manufacturing.

OK, I gotta be honest here, I LOVE this stuff. It smells great – a nice herbal smell. One or two sprays is all you need. One 1 ounce bottle will yield 225+ sprays, so you get 4 times as many uses as the gel sanitizers.

CleanWell Hand Sanitizer is safe, no parabens, phthalates, alcohol or other ickies. Thymus Vulgaris Oil is the active ingredient (hence the herbal scent). EWG’s cosmetic’s database does not list Clean Well Hand Sanitizer, but I entered the individual ingredients and everything was in the safe (0-2) category except citric acid which was a 4 (it seems mostly for skin sensitivities).

It’s important to note that there are good bacteria and bad bacteria, so using antibacterial products on a regular basis is not good or recommended. In fact, the over use of antibiotics and antibacterial products cases viruses to mutate creating superbugs and strains that are resistant to medication. So while CleanWell is a great product, it, along with other hand sanitizers and antibacterial products, should never be used on a regular basis. It should only be used when hand washing with regular soap and water is not an option (think port-a-potty, wiping noses in the car, etc.)

CleanWell Hand Sanitizer is available in purse/travel size (1 oz) and regular size (6 oz). I’d recommend several to keep in various places – your purse, the diaper bag(s), at work – so you will have it when needed. I have one in each diaper bag (we have 3), in my purse and on the changing table (easy for between kids when I am changing both).

As for as Organic milk vs hormone free, neither will have the hormone added, but the hormone “free”-only will still have pesticide residue. Organic milk comes from cows fed an organic diet – grain or grass. In most cases, organic cows are treated better (more room per cow, most organic cows graze in an open pasture), while conventional cows don’t have much room to move around. So that to me even means healthier milk since cows treated better tend to be healthier anyway, thus not needing antibiotics, etc.

Hormone free vs organic – cows naturally produce hormones, so the milk is not entirely hormone free, however no synthetic hormones are added (which to me is still better than conventional milk). However, it seems as though “hormone-free” is more of a marketing term.

CNN also reported on this topic pointing out research has shown there is no difference in milk from cows treated with rbST and cows that were not. However, the author echos many who feel “science” and the FDA has let us down before and consumers are questioning the safety of, well everything.

But then again, Natural Newsdebunks that and gives a glowing review of why adding hormones is not good, including pus getting into the milk from these cows who often get mastitis due to the overproduction of milk and these cows are then given antibiotics to treat the mastitis infection. Now, who wants all that in their milk?

Benefits of Organic Milk
Here is another very good article showing the benefits of organic milk vs conventional milk. Such benefits include less pesticide contamination, more vitamins and antioxidants, improves the quality of breastmilk and helps prevent asthma and eczema in children. Read the entire article for more benefits.

As for as choosing a good organic milk, first things first – Horizon milk is not really organic, which is really sad considering it is the best selling brand of organic milk. There are several links on there, one of which is a link to thorough research of many organic brands of milk rated on how “organic” they really are. So if you choose to stay/go organic, you can choose a good brand. Also, you can usually sign up on the manufacturer’s website and get coupons — for example, Stonyfield Farm or Organic Valley may send out coupons in a newsletter.

We eat the “dirty dozen” fruits and veggies (mostly these are the ones where the outer skin is exposed like peaches, grapes, strawberries, potatoes, apples…) these are the ones that will have the most pesticides and bananas for example, do not have near as many pesticides since it is protected by a thick peel. So I get organic apples, but not bananas. I say that to give you an example that there are tradeoffs. You don’t have to go 100% organic on everything. To me, milk is one of those areas where the benefit definitely shows organic to be better.

Certainly cost is a factor. I get our milk from Whole Foods. If you drink a lot of milk or you have room in your freezer, Whole Foods gives you 10% off if you purchase a case of milk (4 gallons). We go through that in about 10-14 days, so I do this sometimes, but it’s a little hard to drink that much milk when we still give our 3 year old whole milk. And I am not sure about freezing milk, have not tried it, but know people who have with great success. And as mentioned, you can usually sign up to get newsletters which may contain coupons.

Safemama has a great “Dear SafeMama” edition this week on having a green baby shower. How do you avoid (or reduce chances) of getting baby gear and products laced with parabens, BPA, etc.? SafeaMama turns to its readers to get some really great tips for proper etiquette on having a green baby shower. Read more.

Tiffany at Naturemoms.com/blog has a great post and giveaway for Yummy in My Tummy gourmet and organic baby food. My baby is 5 months old, so I am going to have to check this stuff out. I will me making my own (you know in my “spare” time) but I have to bring the unopened, packaged stuff to daycare, so this may fit that bill. Tiffany and her 2 kids gave this product 6 thumbs up! Plus the packaging is free of all kids of icky things, including BPA. Read more.